Wednesday, November 26, 2008

What are you thankful for?

The economy sucks. Our country's standing in the international community is equally crappy. Most people's financial investments have gone into a deep dive over the past couple of months. Unemployment is trending upward. Nevertheless, I feel grateful for so much this Thanksgiving. Some examples:

-- A husband and daughter who give me lots of love and support -- and who know exactly when to be sappy and when not to be.

-- A dog (yes, Ms. Allie, I'm talking about you!) who teaches me something every day, and who lavishes love upon me even when I make mistakes.

-- Work that I still enjoy doing, even after nearly a dozen years of doing it.

-- Good health: not just mine, but also throughout the rest of my family (knock on wood).

-- No worries about keeping a roof over my head and good food on the table.

-- My mother, brother and nephew being able to join us this Thanksgiving (assuming they'll survive the day-before-Thanksgiving madness on I-95).

About Me

No, this is not a picture of me. This smiling face belongs to Allie, the eight-year-old Golden Retriever for whom this blog is named. I'm an award-winning writer who specializes in companion animal topics, especially those pertaining to dogs. In addition to my writing for periodicals, I've also written six books about dog care, including the best-selling Housetraining For Dummies. On this blog, I'll explore various aspects of living with dogs and writing about them -- with occasional detours into totally unrelated topics (because I can!). Enjoy!